StarShadow
by wynturchylde
Summary: Have you ever wondered about the pasts of the Ronins and Warlords, their lives before Talpa? And if the Armors were created from Talpa, why are they not evil? This fic is my answer to those questions. AU cuz I canged some things


Disclaimer: I don't own Ronin Warriors/Yarden Samurai Troopers. But I wish I did. The storyline, plot and any characters that don't appear in the series is mine though, if you want to re-write it or need an idea, please leave your request in the review.  
Author's Notes: This fic takes place sometime in the middle of the series, and Anubis wasn't killed, nor was he reformed as the Ancient One.  
Star~Shadow ***  
CHAPTER 1: Unreal Dreams  
  
*************************************************************  
Rowen was in his room, trying to do his trigonometry homework, quite unsuccessfully. He looked over to Sage, reading. Downstairs they could smell the aromas of dinner and Mia and Cye's bantering to Kento, telling him to stay out of the food until dinner was ready. Ryo was outside playing with Yuli and White Blaze in the coming twilight, their voices reaching Sage's and Rowen's ears through the open window.  
Throughout the war, Rowen and Sage became quite reserved, preferring to keep to themselves, rather than take part in any of the social outings with the others. Sage only recently, he refused to speak about what was wrong when asked, instead changing the subject to something concerning another member of the clique, rather than himself.  
Rowen kept to himself, reveling on his past, memories he couldn't seem to forget, no matter how hard he tried to do so. The others didn't ask what was wrong; they all always thought that he was rather strange, from the beginning. He served no purpose aside from a convenient battle strategist, and back support in the case of his skills with a bow.  
In the time of this strange metamorphosis, Cye showed his true colors. Rather than maintaining his shy-guy posse he became quite outgoing, taking the place, so to speak, of the other two. He went out and flirted with the girls and provided moral support to the group. All in all, Rowen and Sage became nothing more than, as Kento put it quite articulately (surprising everyone), mere phantoms. A word that, for some reason made Rowen shudder.  
That was Rowen's major problem. He observed and dissected everything that went on around him, committing it to memory to analyze later. Therefore, he was never able to relax and keep his mind off things, to stop analyzing previous battles, or life, school, anything. His mind was always going, much like it was now.  
Suddenly, things became too small, too narrow for him. He was suffocating; he needed to get out, to breathe.  
He descended the stairs and walked past the dining table, where everyone was sitting, preparing to eat. Everyone turned his way as he passed, but none moved to stop him, which was all well with him. He paused momentarily in the entryway to retrieve his jacket, and then stepped outside.  
The frigid night air bathed his body in a sudden chill, and he instinctively fastened his jacket. He stood there breathing in the crisp air; gazing upward he saw the stars emerging into a moonless sky. The stars gazed back down at him, beckoning him onward. Suddenly, he was aware of the seven pairs of eyes on his back, depriving him of all that he wished at that particular moment. Privacy.  
He vaulted the railing, rather than taking the stairs, and jogged to the forest. Only when he reached the trees' protective boughs he slowed his pace to an amble walk. He kept no track of where he was going, or the time it took to get there. His mind was on a one way road, it was saying 'get away' and that is exactly what he did. On an on he strode, and only when he had no recollection whatsoever of where he was did he finally stop. He found a dry, mossy spot under the protective branches of a rowan tree, closed his eyes, and was soon in a deep slumber.  
***dream***  
He was walking along the edge of the world, literally. The Earth was below him, in all its majesty, it took his breath away. At first he thought that he was cast into outer space again, technically, that is what happened, however, this time not by Talpa. He was on the back of a silver horse, with midnight blue mane and tail, and wings on the muscular shoulders.  
Rowen couldn't help but feel at ease, and then, he was no longer in the Earth's orbit, but in a different world. A beautiful, different world, with grassy meadows, large ancient trees, all in all it looked just like Earth. Except, pure, innocent. He heard someone approaching behind him; he quickly turned, awaiting a battle. He didn't see his follower, "Daias," he thought, and donned his armor. Instead, what finally met his gaze was Lady Kyrua, and next to him was the winged horse he came on. Kyrua was beautiful, wearing a silver medieval dress with red and dark blue trim. But she looked weak, very weak, like she was just barely clinging to life.  
"I aided you, now the time is coming for you to return the favor," she looked sad and desperate, and then she finished. "Please, Rowen, help us."  
And then she was gone. "Kyrua, Kyrua wait, help with what?" Rowen was enticed to know. But just at that very moment, the landscape around him turned dark and barren, and then dissolved into total nothingness.  
***end dream***  
Rowen awoke with a cold sweat pouring down his face; just to have something soft and velvety nuzzle it away. Surprised, he opened his eyes, and there, standing before him was the winged horse from his dream. 


End file.
